New World – Release Date Update and Invasions

Due to the new working arrangements over at Amazon Game Studios, their upcoming conquistador-themed MMORPG New World will be launching later than originally expected. Right now, the plan is to launch the game into closed beta in July and then release it on August 25, 2020. Check out this message from the game’s director Scott Lane:

And then, you might be interested in learning a thing or two about New World’s Invasion system. Have a look:

Aeternum is a mysterious and hostile land where you will fight to get a foothold and must be ready to defend it from invading forces… human and supernatural. In New World, when the forces of Corruption have amassed enough strength in a Territory, they lay siege to the Fort. This is called an Invasion. During the battle, the defenders must protect their Fort against escalating waves of enemies. If the forces defending the Fort are successful, the Corrupted’s army is repelled and the battle is won. If, on the other hand, the Fort falls, the Territory suffers and loses some upgrades, such as Crafting Stations, Fort gates or Fort turrets. The higher the Territory’s level, the more items get downgraded. Post battle, the Corruption retreats to replenish their force and the Fort resets itself, restoring any structures that were destroyed. Don’t spend too long upgrading your Territory again though as Invasions occur approximately every four days.

How to Participate in an Invasion

The day before an Invasion, players can sign up for the event at the Settlement’s Town Board. The Governor of the defending Territory can choose 10 heroes to accompany them in the upcoming battle. The remaining 40 slots are randomly selected from players who signed up to take part in the next Invasion. Note that only players at Level 50 or above can participate in Invasions.

The Preparation Phase

When an Invasion starts and you have been chosen to participate, you will be automatically transported to the Fort with your other teammates and provided with 50 Battle Tokens. For a brief period, players can use their Tokens at the Armory to better prepare for the fight, or save them for later to use during the Invasion. Battle Tokens can be used on powerful ammunition and potions, incendiary mines, explosive powder kegs, and turret ammunition. Furthermore, players can earn and use additional Battle Tokens by performing various actions during battle, such as killing, repairing, or healing.

The Invasion

It’s battle time. After the preparation period, enemies start emerging from Corrupted Portals around the Fort. This is the first of eight waves of enemies, so strategy and tactics, especially with Battle Tokens comes into effect.

Don’t underestimate your enemies in this battle. You will have to adapt your combat style according to different kinds of creatures, each with different skills and abilities. Here’s a list of some of the creatures:

• Grunts pose little threat but when they swarm, they can quickly take down any target. They focus on destroying structures. If they can’t reach one of them, they begin to attack players. After a period of time, they start to frenzy, creating fast, intense, and increased damage while also burning themselves out. We recommended destroying Grunts as quickly possible.
• Raiders are the shock troops of the invading forces. They are skilled, tough and well-equipped. They are more than capable of handling themselves in melee combat. They focus on attacking players but will attack structures if there are no players in range.
• Snipers hang back and take pot shots of players from afar. The prioritize targets on the ramparts and are effective at suppressing turrets. They are also evasive, dodging and ducking to avoid player attacks.
• Bombers are runners with explosives strapped to their back. They run at structures and then blow themselves up, dealing significant damage. It is highly recommended to take them down using ranged weapons because they explode on death.
• Brutes are huge, hulking beasts that smash structures. They will occasionally attack players that annoy them but are otherwise focused on destroying defenses. Brutes are very tough and require multiple players in order to defeat.
• Bosses can vary. Some are focused on destroying structures while others focus on attacking players. In addition, some of them apply buffs to other invading forces or debuffs to players.

The Corruption will focus on destroying the gates first, then destroying the Fort Claim. During battle, players can use various structures to help defend the Fort, such as Turrets, Droppers, Support, and Traps. Note that, as with Wars, only the Company that owns the Territory can build defense structures before the Invasions commence. Here’s more information about each defense structure:

• Turrets, such as Ballista, Repeater, and Explosives provide a means to attack enemies from a safe distance and prevent them from reaching the gates.
• Droppers are highly effective against infantry but ineffective against anything at range.The Fire Dropper pours molten liquid on enemies below, making it great for defending the gates.
• Support structures can be used to buff players or debuff enemies, such as the Horn of Resilience that provides a defensive buff to all nearby teammates. While the buff is active, your teammates take reduced damage and heal over time. Do not underestimate the Horn as it can turn the tide of battle if used at the right time!
• Traps are deployable defenses that can be placed in the battlefield. Players can obtain them from the Armory and use them like any other deployable.

Throughout the battle, players can keep a close eye on the in-game details by looking at information at the top of the screen. This includes specific player objectives, Invasion time remaining, the current wave of attack, and the total waves.

The Ending

Players win an Invasion by protecting the Fort Claim until the time limit is reached. The Invasion is lost if the enemies destroy the Fort Claim within the time limit. After the battle, the Corrupted forces fall back to regain their strength and prepare for the next Invasion. Win or lose, players who contribute to the battle are rewarded with XP, in-game currency and loot. Finally, they are released back into the stunning, yet dangerous land of Aeternum. Should players be defeated, it will cause a downgrade of their Territory. Players will receive some XP, loot and Azoth depending on how many waves were completed. Check out more information about upgrading and downgrading Territories by clicking this article.